Tele-programming system and method

Abstract

Systems and methods for programming equipment used for or related to a manufacturing process, comprising installing equipment in a manufacturing environment; positioning a plurality of sensors within the manufacturing environment in proximity to the equipment, wherein the plurality of sensors are configured to gather data from the manufacturing environment; connecting at least one processor to the plurality of sensors, wherein the at least one processor includes software for receiving data from the plurality of sensors and the equipment; wherein the software on the processor mathematically transforms the motion input into corresponding motion commands, wherein the equipment, which is physically remote from the at least one controller, executes the motion commands in real-time; and by the software, saving a teachpoint in a program file.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method for programming equipment used for or related to a manufacturing process, comprising:
 (a) installing equipment in a manufacturing environment;   (b) positioning a plurality of sensors within the manufacturing environment in proximity to the equipment, wherein the plurality of sensors are configured to gather data from the manufacturing environment;   (c) connecting at least one processor to the plurality of sensors, wherein the at least one processor includes software for receiving data from the plurality of sensors and the equipment;   (d) connecting at least one manual controller to the processor, wherein the at least one manual controller receives motion input from a user of the manual controller, wherein the software on the processor mathematically transforms the motion input into corresponding motion commands that are sent to the equipment by the processor, wherein the equipment, which is physically remote from the at least one controller, executes the motion commands in real-time during the manufacturing process; and   (e) using the software to save a teachpoint in a program file.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 (a) determining whether the equipment has moved a predetermined minimum distance from a previously saved teachpoint location;   (b) adding a first new teachpoint to the program file if the equipment moved the predetermined minimum distance from the previously saved teachpoint location;   (c) determining whether a predetermined minimum amount of time has passed since a previously saved teachpoint time; and   (d) adding a second new teachpoint to the program file if the predetermined minimum amount of time varied from the previously saved teachpoint time.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying a real-time video of the manufacturing environment to the user on a human machine interface screen during the manufacturing process, wherein the user can add the teachpoint to the program file through the human machine interface screen. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising using artificial intelligence to determine if a new teachpoint should be saved to the program file. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the artificial intelligence uses project trajectory, direction, speed, distance, or combinations thereof to determine if the new teachpoint should be saved to the program file. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 (a) using at least one of the sensors in the plurality of sensors to measure a distance between an end effector on the equipment and a part surface, wherein the at least one of the plurality of sensors is a displacement data sensor; and   (b) disabling the user's control of the inspection equipment if the distances varies from a predetermined operating distance range.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 (a) reading the measured distance between the end effector and the part surface;   (b) providing a haptic feedback response to the manual controller based on the data from the plurality of sensors and the equipment; and   (c) updating the haptic feedback response to the manual controller based on the measured distance from the displacement data sensor.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 (a) using at least one of the sensors in the plurality of sensors to measure a pressure applied between an end effector on the equipment and a part surface; and   (b) disabling the user's control of the equipment if the pressure varies from a predetermined operating pressure range.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 (a) reading the measured pressure applied between the end effector and the part surface;   (b) providing a haptic feedback response to the manual controller based on the data from the plurality of sensors and the equipment; and   (c) updating the haptic feedback response to the manual controller based on the measured pressure.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein equipment includes welding equipment, measurement equipment, inspection equipment, remote assembly equipment, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one manual controller is a hand-held stylus, a computer mouse, or a joystick. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing a computer network across which the processor communicates with the equipment. 
     
     
         13 . A method for remotely programming equipment used for or related to a manufacturing process, comprising:
 (a) installing equipment in a manufacturing environment;   (b) positioning a plurality of sensors within the manufacturing environment in proximity to the equipment, wherein the plurality of sensors are configured to gather data from the manufacturing environment;   (c) connecting at least one processor to the plurality of sensors, wherein the at least one processor includes software for receiving data from the plurality of sensors and the equipment;   (d) connecting at least one manual controller to the processor, wherein the at least one manual controller receives motion input from a user of the manual controller, wherein the software on the processor mathematically transforms the motion input into corresponding motion commands that are sent to the equipment by the processor, wherein the equipment, which is physically remote from the at least one controller, executes the motion commands in real-time during the manufacturing process; and   (e) saving a teachpoint in a program file, wherein the software:
 (i) determines whether the equipment has moved a predetermined minimum distance from a previously saved teachpoint location; and 
 (ii) adds the teachpoint to the program file if the equipment moved the predetermined minimum distance from the previously saved teachpoint location. 
   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 (a) determining whether a predetermined minimum amount of time has passed since a previously saved teachpoint time; and   (b) adding a new teachpoint to the program file if the predetermined minimum amount of time varied from the previously saved teachpoint time.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising displaying a real-time video of the manufacturing environment to the user on a human machine interface screen during the manufacturing process, wherein the user can add the teachpoint to the program file through the human machine interface screen. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising using artificial intelligence to determine if a new teachpoint should be saved to the program file. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the artificial intelligence uses project trajectory, direction, speed, distance, or combinations thereof to determine if the new teachpoint should be saved to the program file. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein equipment includes welding equipment, measurement equipment, inspection equipment, remote assembly equipment, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one manual controller is a hand-held stylus, a computer mouse, or a joystick. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising providing a computer network across which the processor communicates with the equipment.